The Toronto Star holds a near-monopoly of Toronto death notices on the level that the Times of India was once for Bombay (may still be, I don't know).
I spent an idle one hour this evening morbidly poring over today's print issue which seems representative of any other day of the week. Here are the resulting stats: Total death notices 59, Goan-like names 2. Armando D'Oliveira and Maria Fernandes could be Portuguese or Azorean instead of Goan. BY AGE 36-40: 1 40-45: 1 56-60: 4 66-70: 3 71-75: 2 76-80: 3 81-85: 13 86-90: 11 91-95: 3 96-99: 2 100: 2 Unmentioned age: 14 BY PROBABLE CAUSE Heart/Stroke: 6 Cancer: 8 Alzheimers: 1 Kidney: 2 Schizophrenia: 1 Lung Disease: 1 Cerebral Palsy: 1 Un-indicated causes: 39 Probable causes are indicated by the relevant charities mentioned, since it is usually the custom to ask for donations in lieu of flowers, to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or the Cancer Society if the respective deceased has passed away of a heart attack or of cancer. A shot of good liquor needs to be raised for the two 100 year olds - Reta Grace Younger and Theresa Marenick. Had to be both ladies, they kill off the men with all that argument. Probably departed with full control of their faculties from what I see of seniors here. One day they are shaking a leg to a Benny Goodman number at the seniors centre evening entertainment and the next morning you hear they are gone. What a lovely start to the journey heading to the Happy Hunting Grounds, a phrase that was common in the Dell cowboy and injun comics of an age ago. Far too many younger people are dying in Goa as observed in the Herald, compared to Toronto. Is this due to road accidents or merely due to lower life expectancy? Roland.
